ApplewillofferstandaloneHermèsAppleWatchbandsfromApril19

Apple is about to make a significant change to its Hermès Apple Watch bands collection, and will soon offer standalone bands from the collection for Apple Watch owners to purchase, according to a recent report. The move will come into effect from April 19, and prices for the bands are said to start at $340 (but climb all the way up to $690).

The news comes from A Blog to Watch, which highlights a couple of screenshots depicting the bands at Apple’s website. As you can see, standalone Hermès bands do seem to be incoming: prices appear set at $340 for the Single Tour, $490 for the Double Tour, and – ouch – $690 for the Hermès Cuff. Though, if you already own an Apple Watch and wished you’d held out for the Hermès model (which also includes an exclusive Hermès watchface), you’ll be pleased to hear today’s news. After all, it’s a lot better than having to shell out for a whole new Apple Watch.

However, that’s not all. Because aside from offering pre-existing Hermès bands for customers, Apple and Hermès are also introducing a number of new color options for the collection. There will, as the publication adds, be a total of seven colors available across the three different Hermès Apple Watch straps.

Hermès straps, of course, carry a price that reflects both the name and level of craftsmanship: Apple offers its own leather bands (none of which borrow from the Hermès style, mind you), and a selection of third-party manufacturers have attempted to replicate several Hermès design styles with varying degrees of success. Perhaps the best I’ve seen is Pad & Quill’s Lowry Cuff, which does a good job of offering Apple Watch owners a Hermès Cuff-style strap for a fraction of the price. I really like the Cuff design and would love a Hermès strap for my Apple Watch, but the $690 cost (which is the highest price of all of the standalone Hermès bands) is too much.

So, expect the Single Tour ($340), Double Tour ($490), and Cuff ($690) on April 19 at Apple’s website. Are you planning on picking up a Hermès band for your Apple Watch?